The use of polymers to make polymer modified asphalt (PMA) is growing nationally and internationally. The increased use of polymers to modify asphalt is because most base or virgin asphalts are not suitable for use in different environments owing to different geographical and temperature conditions around the country. In order to satisfy the demand for more polymers, manufacturers are seeking to increase production, especially of less expensive polymers which are suitable for asphalt modification. Polymers are also suitable for use in the adhesive and shoe industries and particularly for making shoe soles.
One type of economical polymer which is readily available at a reasonable price is synthetic rubber or butadiene back bone polymer because of its high volume of consumption. Block copolymers are also readily available. Most of these commodity type polymers reagglomerate after grinding into crumb rubber or into its crumb form, which is a major drawback to their acceptance by the asphalt modification, adhesive, and footwear industries. The present invention relates to a method for treating a polymer such as synthetic rubber which prevents reagglomeration of the synthetic rubber. This reduces the dispersion time of the polymer into the asphalt or other material with which it is mixed and also decreases the viscosity of the resulting product.